Night patrols
That’s led to the hasty organization of night patrols and watch posts of unarmed men looking to prevent escalation or inter-ethnic conflict. After sunset, groups of men stand at crossroads and community halls, peering uneasily into the darkness.
At one such post, a dozen men are smoking furtively and chewing sunflower seeds. They aren’t stopping cars, rather noting the comings and goings of unfamiliar vehicles and keeping in touch with each other by phone and text message.
“We have no authority to check documents, we can only call each other from the posts or call the head office to follow unknown vehicles or we can call the police,” said Zamir Khaybulaev, 60, head of the local Mejlis.
The Tartars only returned to Crimea from the 1970’s onwards
At a second post, volunteer Ernest Bekirov is philosophical. He says Crimea’s Tatars have weathered many hardships and said he hoped this crisis would pass soon.
A wish for peace
“We just want peace, happiness and to provide for our children and have a comfortable life in our native land,” the soft-spoken 48 year old said. “We don’t want a war – all this is coming from higher authorities.”
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